The National tribune., 1887-04-07

ihe depression of The SOldier," aud IN every
partlDf the earth are historic places lllustra-
iinpl3he native valOr of men and the opp0-
eitida of the freedom-loving volunteers 10
fhe Trained forces Of despotism. Applause
There could of course be no fighting If the
batde wa. not waged on both sides. but rs
n rtle the men who did the fighting that
aavbnced liberty were not the trained sol
dieIk OF the time, but the masses that rose
mn IA opposition TO the eNactions Of tyrants
wh4 LEO the soldiery TO war.
Eiyen as late as that great epoch TO which
j bsfore adverted, and 20 which / now return
with the proud and happy satisfaction Of one
who believes that from that epoch the course
OF humanity has been upward lapplause ],
eydn in that great era which marked The
bidh Of this Nation, there were iound
enough OF the s0ldiery of the old order
60 sell their swords TO a foreign tyrant,
ant upon the plains of New Jersey, scarcely
half days ride from here, they wrote the
IN fanny of the Hessian name forever on the
American memory. But that was about the
laa exhibition of that peculiar class of mer-
ccharies aud Old-MOrld soldiers. Since that
tsAie and since the Revolution, another charac-
fef has come upon the stage-the man aud the
bay ia blue. Enthusiastic cheerngI Ihe
Continental was the first free soldier, who
Sritiated, and gloriously and scientifically
maintained, a struggle for liberty on contl-
nsntal scale and the cause of humanity against
very great and regular organization of troops.
lApplause. ] do not propose now, lellow-clu-
Eqns 10 speak Of this Continental soldier, but
rtonose TO speak for q little while of his de-
seendant,
THE SOLDIER OF 1861.
Thpplausel IL is wonderful where he came
flom, and why he was so ready for the per
ibrmRnoe of his great task. speak TO null
istude here, very many OF whom remember the
peaceful hours that preceded the outbreak of
Qhe greatest convusion of this century. Men
Acre Foiugup aud down peaceful streets, never
thinking of trouble. They were filling all the
t0cations of varied life in all the States OF the
Union. They were pioneering, they were
frospecting, they were farming they were pro-
1ossors, they were preachers-some OF whom, by
The way, were subsequently spoiled as Chaplains-
ilAughter They were leading the sober,
orderly life Of the American citizen OF the
time. The greatest eXcitemont0 OF the time was
n revival Of religion at some convenient camp
6ng grounds. The arrival of a travelling circus
twas an event known and felt half the State
loyor. and Barnum's flag had IFS votaries from
'20 miles on every side l0comOtiye-eng'ne
twas a curiosity 20 be discussed in the weekly
newspapers in the interor of the country.
,Sober-faced men begat sober faced boys.
man with a beard upon his face was looked
iupon either As an escaped convict or returned
lCaliiomian. Laughter. He was obliged 10
take his place in one of these catcgorTcs A
bright ribbon might have been worn by very
] young woman, hut q married wOman-.and all
4 women were old as soon as they got married,
as they are to-day llaughter who affected
similar love of display would have been re-
1 regarded as a rather gay person, TO say the
least. Every saturday nightevery secular calling
was suspended and on the following day men
wendcd their way 10 church or Sunday school
Once in a while a very bad fellow would take
has gun and go of 10 the woods in search
of a squirrel, but he was careful 10 get out
% oarsho, before firing and If he sneaked
The sQirrcl into the family pot il was
We were the simplest, quietest, most peace
iul people that ever were cOngregated in
q great arena The leaders Of the time were
men OF peace; the Nation was a peaceful Ma
tion, aud the discussions of those days were
most lively when people came TO speak OF the
great eNtravagance of spending Sl5.0O0D00 a
wear on the Regular Army OF the United States
Laughter. There was desire that that SEM
blance OF an army should be biotted out, and
West Point was regarded as the nursery of al
sorts Of abuses. But upon this peaceful aud
harmonious people suddenly fell the opening
notes OF
THE HEGWTTEsT STRUGGLE OF HUMANITY.
Last might i was sitting in my library.
Everything WAS as quiet and serene AS this au-
oience isal this moment SOf winds were play
ing about the windows and whispering about
the trees But suddenly there arose bluster-
ing wind Chat startled everything into life, and
hurry, aud motion. You probably all felt aud
heard H. Not more instantaneous than that
was the change that fell upon the American
people. The quiet sea was dashed into a tenn
pest. Every sign OF peace was gone Lawyers
lOrsook their brIois aud the bar: farmers for
sock their fields; shops were closed aud stores
were deserted the very pnpiis became the
Oraces irOn which were thundered forth
anathemas, invcctives and exhortations TO a
great, free people. The somber-hHed millions
of America blossOmed out in red and white and
blue, aud over them fell the splend id light of
that God OF victory who was subsequently 10
lead their arms step by step until the eternal
right was secure. lApplause.
Some young man who had never listened 10
anything more inharmonius than the blus-
tering winds, tolls along, expecting TO add
other acres 10 those his father is about 10
leave him. Suddenly from the village green
lac hears the quick, wild notes of the bugle
OF 220J0,O0O Of Americans not half a million
bad ever heard the note Of buge, breathing de.
hance aud the notes OF war. As the young man
stands And Listens to this strange aud thrilling
music there enters into him feeling new to tho
American heart, new 10 the American youth
The dreadful baptism of war is being poured
upon him. He ls transformed. de is changed
IN apparel ana ia heart. His homemade cloth
inc isreplscod by the uniform. The rustic hat il
replaced hv the iauuty military cap, and trans
iorned. p. soldier comes; eyes that neve
i0oAoo G frll CLEAN terribly as serried rank
IdFaaoe - Lbe contest. The American heart /
there AL tue time;
AMERICAN DEVOTION
IL there all the time. This young fellow has beer
trained ~ love liberty aud has profound de
VotiOn for the Constitution. lt is sOmethinl
that has come 10 him rom his father. tits In
great ark ana palladium OF all his liberties II
knows that The best OF all ways are the WAYS @
blessed peace, bat he also knows that before n
can again enier them hc must tread that high
way where battles luTid light is all about him
and where the only mile stones set up are thos
oi war, and dcsOlatOn, and destruction. neI
creature arises into the world--the America
volunteer soldier Applause. ] should lilz
70 grow eloquent; j should like 10 be able 10 b
eloquent Ia the contemplation and discussion {
this simple majestic figure. take the one bo
ass type oi the thousands There he bears IA
muskei calamity 10 the end Here the plum
OF the ollucr falls upon him. lie is a Major
ne 10 Cooneli be 10 a Major-General. Her
he De- splendid in thered tIappings Of the arti
tery. Here he is ai0st IN a sh ID and perhat
sees The flag OF the Cumberland half-maste
above Tie tumultuOus waves; perhaps IN III
hold oi the Monitor, where new type is give
10 naval warfare aud impressed upon the mar
time history OF the world. Perhaps he is /
The bead oi charging squadrous; perhaps ]